Why Did Loki Turn Evil In The MCU?
Marcus Reynolds Loki’s anti-hero status has been solidified for so long in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that his villain origins are oftentimes forgotten.
Summary
- Loki's villain origins in the MCU stem from his discovery that he is actually the son of a Frost Giant, which led him to believe that Odin favored Thor over him, causing him to turn against his family and become a villain.
- In Loki season 1, it is revealed that Loki's villainous acts were elaborate tricks to create the illusion of power and compensate for his perceived weakness. This stemmed from his childhood and the belief that Odin didn't love him.
- While Odin's hiding of Loki's true parentage and Thor's demeaning behavior may have influenced Loki, ultimately he is to blame for his villainous actions due to his own issues with self-acceptance and misinterpretation of his upbringing. His journey towards redemption as an MCU hero is a major focus of his character since 2013 including with the Loki TV show.
With Loki only further solidifying the titular God of Mischief as an MCU hero, the character's villain origins from Phase 1 can sometimes be forgotten. Since 2013's Thor: The Dark World, Loki has been positioned as a morally gray anti-hero before being shifted into a full-blown hero by the time of Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. Given so much of Loki's MCU story has centered on his transition from villain to hero, oftentimes his stint as the former villain character archetype in the franchise can be forgotten.
Loki's fan-favorite status also means that his villainous beginnings in the MCU are forgotten in favor of his more lovable side. However, given that Loki season 2's story will only further explore his solidification as an MCU hero, it is worth exploring how Loki's origin as a villain went in the franchise. Remembering Loki's original story and why he turned into a villain in the first place is vital not only to his overall MCU story but in making his full shift to a major Multiverse Saga hero hit that much harder.
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In Thor, Loki's first MCU appearance, the God of Mischief found out that he was actually the son of a Frost Giant who was found by Odin and raised by the latter as his own son. The reveal of Loki's true origin forced him to undergo an existential crisis, believing that Odin's supposed favoring of Thor throughout their childhood was a result of Loki's Frost Giant heritage. This caused Loki to turn against Odin, Thor, and Asgard and begin his descent into villainy showcased in the ending of Thor and into The Avengers.
Furthermore, Loki season 1, episode 1, "Glorious Purpose" delved deeper into Loki's villain origins. In the episode, Loki explains that he does not enjoy hurting people. Instead, Loki's villainous acts in Thor and The Avengers were simply cruel, elaborate tricks to instill fear in people to give the illusion that someone as weak as Loki is actually powerful. This perceived weakness that causes Loki's villainy stems from his childhood and the reveal of his heritage that made Loki assume Odin did not love him. This was disproven in Thor: Ragnarok when Loki finally accepted he was Odin's son and turned the corner into an MCU hero.
Who Is Really To Blame For Loki Turning Evil?
The familial aspects of Loki's villain origin story in the MCU raise the question of who is to blame for his transition into an evil dictator in The Avengers. Be it Odin's hiding of Loki's true parentage to Thor's constant demeaning of Loki, it could be argued that either of those was responsible for Loki's turn. However, the answer is that Loki himself is to blame for his villainous actions. The Thor movies make it clear that Odin never favored Thor and raised him and Loki as equals.
It was Loki's preconceived notions that made him assume he was treated differently by Asgard for his Frost Giant heritage, something that is constantly disproven over the course of his journey as he comes to realize that his family loved him as one of their own regardless of his origin. As such, Loki's own issues with self-acceptance stemming from his upbringing caused him to wrongly recontextualize his upbringing, assume he was treated differently, and turn into a villain in the MCU. The version of the character currently featured in Loki realizes this early into the show, meaning season 2 can focus more on his further redemption as an MCU hero.
